Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 13, 2024
Contact: Dave Neudeck, Communications and Marketing Director, 804-786-5053, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov
Matt Sabas, PR & Marketing Specialist, matt.sabas@dcr.virginia.gov
Governor Youngkin Announces Virginia Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award Winners
Nine farms honored for their commitment to soil and water conservation
(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: 2024 Clean Water Farm Award signs)
RICHMOND, Va. - Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced the nine winners of the Virginia Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Awards for 2024. The awards recognize farmers or landowners who demonstrate exceptional environmental stewardship and commitment to protecting soil and water resources. Winners are selected from each of Virginia’s major river basins.
“Virginia’s farmers are at the forefront of protecting our streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “The Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award winners are exemplary stewards of our natural resources. Their leadership in conservation is a testament to the central role agriculture plays in preserving the beauty and vitality of the Commonwealth.”
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Virginia’s 47 soil and water conservation districts, the awards honor farmers who have implemented agricultural best management practices that protect water quality. These practices include planting cover crops, establishing rotational grazing systems, fencing livestock out of streams and no-till practices.
“I applaud these farmers for their dedication to safeguarding Virginia’s natural resources,” said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles. “Their innovative use of conservation practices is critical to achieving our clean water goals while preserving the Commonwealth’s natural heritage.”
Several of this year’s winners protect historically significant sites, including Clermont Farm in Clarke County, an area first surveyed by George Washington in 1750, and The Rocklands Foundation in Orange County, a designated Virginia Historic Landmark.
“This year’s Grand Basin winners embody the commitment, creativity, and hard work that define Virginia’s farming community,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “These award winners demonstrate that agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand.”
“DCR is proud to support programs that enable farmers to adopt sustainable practices,” said DCR Director Matthew Wells. “These award recipients have shown an extraordinary commitment to conservation and their success underscores the importance of collaboration in achieving a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Virginia’s soil and water conservation districts provide technical assistance and guidance to farmers seeking to implement or expand conservation practices on their operation.
“District staff and the farmers they work with are committed to enhancing practices that protect and enrich our natural resources,” said Dr. Kendall Tyree, executive director of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. “We take pride in the enduring relationships we’ve built with these farms. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the agricultural community, and we look forward strengthening these partnerships for the benefit of our land and waterways.”
For more information and a description of each farm, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/cwfa-winners.
2024 Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award recipients
Big Sandy – Upper Tennessee
David and Jeff Spence, Spence Brothers Farm
Smyth County
Nominated by the Evergreen Soil and Water Conservation District
Coastal
Nathan Eulo, Eulo Farms
Town of Accomac
Nominated by the Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District
James River
The W. Copley and Margaret K. McLean Family, Swift Run Farm
Greene County
Nominated by the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District
New-Yadkin River
Jennings Family, Jennings Farm
Carroll County
Nominated by the New River Soil and Water Conservation District
Potomac River
Vanessa Sandin, Pohick Farm
Fauquier County
Nominated by John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District
Rappahannock River
O. Bruce Gupton, The Rocklands Foundation
Orange County
Nominated by Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District
Roanoke River
Lanier Easley, Easley Farm
Pittsylvania County
Nominated by Pittsylvania Soil and Water Conservation District
Shenandoah River
The Clermont Foundation, Clermont Farm
Clarke County
Nominated by Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District
York River
Bruce and Katherine Johnson, Dragonfly Farms
Louisa County
Nominated by Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
Photos of the award ceremony available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/pcopros2/albums/72177720322540003.
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